Between the Lines of Conflict and Tranquility
by BlackTigerJinko
Summary: Kaguya Kikue wields two seperate Kekkei Genkai from the Land of Water. But having power doesn't mean she wants to fight. All she wants is a peaceful world of her own, but we can't have all we want can we? Things change as quick as we blink. (Multi x OC, for now)
1. In Between The Lines

I promised myself that I would only have one fanfic running but look at me now, I've gone done the Naruto hole.

* * *

_Kikue - 菊枝_

* * *

The Kaguya clan of the Mist had been known for their ferocity and their battle hungry natures, so it wasn't surprising that they where cruel too. Kaguya Kikue had been a child of unethical circumstances, her father was a Kaguya whose marriage had been arranged with her reluctant mother from the Yuki clan from the land of Water. Their marriage was never happy, her father had forced himself on her mother and in turn, created her, Kaguya Kikue. Kikue became the bane of her father who desperately wanted a strong boy to represent their family, forced into the Academy of the Mist when she learned to stand, whilst her mother suffered at home with her own demons.

* * *

"Welcome to your final exam, rules are simple. Only one of you will survive out of this class of a hundred students, no teaming up, no forfeiting and _absolutely no Kekkei Genkai._"

This had been something Kikue had been taught her whole entire life by her father, to kill, to shed blood and to show absolutely no mercy. To scorn at those who despised her lineage, hatred towards Kiri's intolerance. She was only here because her clan's desire, to display power. However, Kaguya Kikue was much the opposite, with her mother being a major influence . Despite the nature of the Kaguya clan, her mother, had a firm belief in the importance of compassion, life and above all peace.

She couldn't help but tighten her hand on her katana that she had borrowed from her father this morning, Kikue knew she would a major target for her bloodline(s).

"This is the path of a seasoned shinobi, murder of cold blood will be rewarded with a Hitai-ate and recognition from the village. Exams will start...**now**."

Kikue did not even need to move as many of her classmates took towards her with hateful gazes, closing her eyes, she went into an elegant stance before swinging her blade in a circular motion.

'_Shinobi Rule No.04 - A shinobi must always put the mission first.' _Kikue thought.

Her life had centered around the Shinobi rules, something her father indoctrinated her with. Although she had abide by these rules, she lacked the battle-hungry nature that most of her clansmen had, like her older cousin, she desired peace and tranquility, something she had gotten from her mother. So, the female Kaguya couldn't but hold back a wince as she held her peers fall by the end of her sword.

_'1...'_

_'2...'_

_'3...'_

She had kept going, counting how many peers she had killed by her weapon. Kikue thought of her mother, how horrified she would be to find her daughter in a situation such as this. It had been ironic, that her mother couldn't even bare to look at the sight of blood. Yet Kikue herself was here killing all her peers in cold blood.

Kikue soon found that she lost count of people that her sword had came in contact with and had been forced to stop when she had heard slow applause. Opening her eyes to the Academy teachers who gave her indifferent looks before grudgingly handing her a hitai-ate.

"Congratulations."

And that was it.

* * *

"Ka-san, I'm home..." Kikue called out softly as she came back into the compound.

"Go to your father's room please Kiku-chan, he wishes to have an audience with you." Her mother called out softly in return, no doubt trying shield herself away from her daughter's state. Her mother was what her father called a blessed but weak woman. To Kikue, she was undoubtedly a broken woman, silently suffering by her father's hand. She was meek, soft and caring, that was Kikue's mother, who taught her the importance of life and compassion. Her father was the polar opposite to the warmth that her brought.

Kikue padded her way through the halls of the house before kneeling in front of a sliding door.

"You wanted to see me father?"

As grunt of affirmation was heard, she slid the door open to kneel in front of her father. Kikue had inherited barely nothing from her father who towered over her slight form. His hair was of ivory grey that represented his age, he was older than her mother by 19 years , at 59 years old, with two frail red markings on his forehead, with sunken and wrinkly features with a zig-zag hair parting that distinctively defined him as Kaguya and beady blue eyes that seem to scowl naturally.

"Were you successful in honoring the Kaguya name?"

"Yes father."

He grunted again, before narrowing his eyes again on her and waving his hand in a careless gesture.

"You are dismissed, take a visit to the boy while you're at it. The clan head wanted to make sure he's still in there."

Kikue bowed deeply before leaving the room to find her isolated friend Kimimaro.

"I'm going to see Kimimaro-kun, Ka-san."

Her mother didn't answer her this time, still hidden from her view.

Kikue sighed, although her mother attempted to love her all the same, it was not unknown that she couldn't stand looking at the abomination that was her daughter.

"Kimimaro-kun, I'm here..." Kikue called out softly.

"Kikue-chan, what are you doing here?" An equally soft called out.

They were direct cousins, keeping each other company in the world of shinobi, Kikue was Kimimaro's key to the outside world. Whilst Kimimaro was her escapism from her broken home that she resided in.

"I came here to check on you of course." the girl said lightly with a fond smile appearing on her face.

She came here at least once a week, to update on her adventures of the outside world, but her stories usually came out rather violent and mournful than whimsical or exciting.

"I killed my classmates today for my final exam at the academy."

"What was it like?"

"Ka-san couldn't stand the sight of me, so she hid in the kitchen when I came home."

Kimimaro gave his cousin a look, she seemed to always avoiding questions these days.

"I don't think she would do that Kimiha-chan."

She turned to him staring into his vivid green eyes.

"You don't know ka-san."

A heavy silence fell on them before Kimimaro spoke again.

"Our clan will be attacking the Mist in a few weeks."

The girl turned to him in curiosity.

"Already?"

"The clansmen who bought my food today, said I would be taken out to train for it."

"So, you'll be free then?"

"Yes."

They drifted into a comfortable silence once more, Kikue made sure to wear her two ninja pouches from now on, just in case. The Kaguya may have been great warriors, but the were poor tacticians especially with their jeering nature, their clan would fall.

* * *

It had been a couple of days where her father disappeared from their house to plan for the attack with the clan elders. It was a small change, her father wasn't even in the house anymore. But Kikue wasn't bothered, her father was a busy man and never paid attention to his family regardless of the small distance within rooms.

It was a small change, something that don't even create an impact on her current lifestyle.

_But it certainly did to her mother._

Her mother's intolerance of her presence soon grew as found herself in the within the compound more often whilst her father wasn't there to frighten her into submission. The woman that seemed warm in comparison to her father slowly diminished. Hear appearance didn't help either, Kikue may have her mother's inherited her soft features, her doe shaped eyes and quiet personality. It wasn't enough for her to ignore the girl's appearance that screamed Kaguya, her light stormy grey eyes that she inherited from her vicious grandfather, escalated her . Her mother avoided her whenever she could and it allowed a thirst of recognition to surface.

She found herself laying in the grass outside the house in peace whilst her father was away, fiddling with the grass before something had came out of her finger, causing the girl to retract her hand and reel back before tentatively reaching out for it to feel that the grass had been frozen from ice. Kikue jumped out in excitement, and with a rare grin she ran back into the house.

"Ka-san! Ka-san!"

" What is it Kiku-chan?" her mother said, making a rare appearance from the kitchen. Everything her woman screamed Yuki, with the straight raven hair, her pale complexion and her almond coloured irises. She was whom the young Kaguya loved the most.

Kimiha grabbed her mother's hand, who flinched at the contact of her daughter. But Kimiha didn't seem to notice, she was going to make her mother proud, dragging towards the string of grass that was frozen.

"Ka-san! Look at what I can do! Aren't you-"

Her mother hit her in face harshly, before crumbling into hysteric tears.

"Ka-san is sorry Kiku-chan...to think you've inherited such a thing..."

Her mother brushed stray hair behind her ear before giving a pained smile.

"Please never tell your father okay? Never do it again!"

Kikue nodded as her mother withdrew her hand cradling the hand that touched her daughter as it was wounded.

"Ka-san...is there something wrong with your hand." Kikue said, furrowing her eyebrows in concern.

Her mother gave out another pained smile, she gave a lot of pained smiles these days.

"Ka-san's hand is just sore Kiku-chan, please don't concern yourself with it."

They went back into the house, with Kikue going back into her room, never to see her mother frantically wash her hands, scrubbing them raw.

* * *

Kikue never gets to see Kimimaro anymore, because of the preparations of the attack on the Mist Village, it doesn't sadden her one bit because Kimimaro is free of the isolation. Despite her being a decent fighter, most of the Kaguya believe that a women's place was home and her father was a firm believer in such ideals regardless of his daughter's talent. It had been why the Kaguya clan only seemed to portray male fighters in conflict. Her mother on the other hand was growing less stable, muttering apologies and curses under her breath, it seemed that showing her the frozen string of grass had been, a mistake. Her gentle and quiet personality had deteriorated as she grew into a bitter woman.

"You were a mistake." She said once to her daughter, when Kikue asked her why her mother seemed be in discomfort every time she looked at her daughter.

She had cracked, her unhappiness that she had experienced within the family took a toll on her well-being.

Her mother grew lazy, as stress lines appeared to age her face. She looked tired.

"I'm not making you anything tonight. Go find yourself something to eat."

Kikue understood her heartache, she really did. Her father had straight up told her origins of an unwanted union of her parents, she knew she had been produced through unethical circumstances as her father forced himself on her mother. When her father wanted a boy, she came out to be a girl, she bought shame to her father and pressure on her mother to produce a boy. But her mother soon became infertile from the stress of pregnancy. She had came out unwanted. She thought that because of her selfishness, her family came out this way.

* * *

It had been mere days before the attack on the village.

That her presence had finally cracked her mother.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Her mother screamed as she pushed Kikue down. She may have not understood then, as she watched her mother scramble for the kitchen sink, once again watching her scrub her hands raw. What had been wrong with her hands?

But she really lost it, was on the day, of the attack on the Mist Village, Kikue walked into the kitchen to find her mother shaking.

"I've had it..."

"Ka-san?" Kikue called.

" I've had it..."

"I've **HAD IT WITH YOU**!"

Her mother had rushed to latch onto her throat, tightening in a shaky grip. The woman she knew was gone, her hair tangled, her cheeks hollowed and her warm eyes had dulled completely from their almond hues.

"**ALL THESE YEARS, I'VE ENDURED, SACRIFICED , SUFFERED FOR THIS SHAMEFUL FAMILY! I'VE HAD IT!**"

Kikue grabbed onto her mother's wrist.

"W-Wait..K-Ka-san-"

"**YOU DISGUSTING FILTHY CHILD I-**"

Kikue's body went on auto-pliot as bones from Shikotsumyaku shot out of her body, stabbing into her mother's. The grip from her neck loosened and her mother let out a pained gasp.

"You're just as barbaric as...your father..." She croaked out before rolling to her side as the bones retracted, leaving stains of blood.

Kikue let out a wail before pushing herself away from the lifeless body, her body had been shaking from the adrenaline. Something welled into her eyes, dripping delicately onto her cheeks, Kikue flinches and reaches out to touch her cheeks to find it wet.

_'Crying?'_

'_Am I crying'_

**'Your tears are meaningless, your tears will do nothing.'**

That was what her father implemented into her as a child. It was true, she only had felt worse, but it didn't stop her tears.

_Rule no.25: A shinobi must never show their tears._ Broken.

But she couldn't dwell on it, an explosion was heard from afar. The clan fallen, the Mist-nin were coming, she wouldn't be able to win against them. She couldn't stay here.

Scrambling up, Kikue ran through the back door, after faltering and tilting to the side in an act of rare clumsiness. She had no one, if people were above to infiltrate the compound, it meant her father had died and that her relatives had died. Kimimaro on the other hand, she had high hopes for, he was calm and gentle, not one who sought conflict and thus, if not hopefully, away from the massacre.

She had stopped from exhaustion, well into the misty forest, adrenaline leaving her body replaced with numbness. It hits her that she had killed her mother, with her Kekkei Genkai. At that moment she hated herself, hated her affiliation with ninjas, the conflict that she was positioned into with no choice. It left her with no will to fight, instead she wanted to hide from ninja civilization, she wanted to live in her own world of peace and tranquility. Kikue wanted to leave, beyond the boundaries of the Mist. To travel to the border.

* * *

She didn't end up travelling towards the border of the Mist, instead she stumbled into a village of poverty, and that itself took weeks, she didn't have any sense of direction , despite being one of the youngest children to ever graduate the Mist Academy, a prodigy, one might say.

Kikue had been purely surviving on wild rabbits and trading animal pelts, utilised with basic snares taught in the Academy. But these past weeks of solitude and paranoia to her survival had changed her, her eyes had gone glassy and hard, whilst her cheeks seemed to have slimmed a bit, valuing travel over well-being. Instead of travelling towards the border, she stumbled into a village, passing by past houses and little stalls, the young Kaguya couldn't help but think of the Mist village that worked in a similar fashion, an apathetic attitude that was present in the community. A little boy had flew out towards her, Kikue instantly getting into careful stance, taking his arm, pushing her hand firmly on his back, forcing him into a submissive position.

"What are you doing?" Kimiha growled, making the boy flinch.

"I-I-I..."

Kikue sighed, she couldn't help but feel pity for him, his cheeks were hollow, with bony wrists with no muscle structure. He was starving.

"Are you hungry?"

The Kaguya wasn't exactly a kind soul, upbringing in Kiri made sure of that. But the boy had the same look she had. Those haunted deep brown eyes. She took a look at him again, black straight hair, deep brown eyes with soft gentle features. It reminded so much, so much _of her mother._

They stopped by a run-down udon house and honestly Kikue didn't have much expectations for the place, the Land of Water had always been in poverty under the Thrid Mizukage, as far as she could remember at least. Even those within clans struggled economically once in a while. So it didn't surprise the Kaguya when the udon came rather bland, with bone broth. But it was edible and the boy ate with gusto.

"So what's your name?" Kikue cooed as she twirled her chopsticks around the noodles lazily with her head on her palm.

The boy seemed to hesitate, with his cautiously fixed on her.

"H-Haku..."

Kikue straightened, dipping her head in greeting before giving a soft smile that her mother had worn years back.

"Hello Haku-san, I'm Kikue."

* * *

Haku was sure she was a snow princess or a snow sprite at that matter, despite attempting to rob her, she showed him kindness, feeding him, she was like his friend. Haku was so happy, happy that he wasn't so alone anymore. He had been older by a year, at 7 years of age, he felt rather hopeless, dead weight pushed onto her seeming fragile shoulders. He wanted to become strong, strong like her.

But he cannot and it disheartens him.

Kikue, on the other hand, was searching for a stall, a stall that was willing to purchase rabbit pelts she had accumulated, even for the smallest price. She knew she couldn't be picky, the smallest amount could mean survival. Until a large chakra invaded her senses making her stiffen, she turned to the direction that Haku had went, seeing a rather large man and Haku sitting on the ground. Kikue runs towards him with concern on her face and the figure looming over him becomes clear.

Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the Mist. A terror of the deep. She recognises him from the bingo book in the Academy.

She cannot fight him, simply because she stands no chance nor did she had to associate with such a lifestyle.

Zabuza offers an opportunity, that she cannot give. He offers Haku an opportunity of a lifetime, an opportunity to be needed by someone.

"What are you waiting for Haku-san? Go on, this is your opportunity."

Haku looks at her, creasing his eyebrows.

"But what about you, Kikue-chan?"

She turns to look at Zabuza with a growing gentle smile. They were quite similar, the three of them, they had the same haunted eyes but unlike Haku and Zabuza, she lacked the will to fight. She strives for a private world of tranquility, not a the public world of conflict.

"I cannot stay here, I am searching for something. Staying here within the Water Country will do nothing for me."

He knew it, just like his late mother or his hateful father, everyone would leave him in the end. But the younger girl with ivory hair gave him a promise, presenting him with a large needle that she called a senbon. He'll swore to himself that he would be extra careful with it, which was responded with a dainty laugh.

"Where are you going?" Haku asked.

"There's this place, Land of the Waves, I don't know where but perhaps I'll settle there for the time being. But for now..."

Kikue dug into her left pouch, taking her forehead protector out.

"Something to remember me by..." she spoke softly, placing it into Haku's hands.

Zabuza's eyes seem to trail on the headband and draws his eyes towards her.

"Make sure to grow strong. We'll certainly meet again some day."

She then turns to Zabuza, her eyes harden as it were frost.

"Make sure to take care of him Momochi-san."

Kikue pats Haku's shoulder and walks ahead to leave, not turning back, nor did she see Haku's steady flow of tears.

Now, she only has one objective, to go to the Land of Waves, where no ninja roam and one could dwell in peace, in a world of her own.

Hopefully.

* * *

**Kikue - "菊****枝****" is Chrysanthemum Branch.**

Jinko: Thank you for reading! If you can, give me a review? I'm a total sucker for them.


	2. Once a Kaguya, Always a Kaguya

The arrival to the Land of Waves wasn't as ideal was Kikue thought to be. It was misty and humid, but that was given for all terrains within the Land of Fire. She also had a horrible sense of direction, it had taken her two weeks to get onto the land from Kiri. The Wave drew no parallels to her origins, it may be surrounded by water, but it had no apathetic culture that hung over everyone like dense fog like it had in the Mist. She liked it here, not much of the civilisation, but the realm of forestry, that it had, hiding her from the chaotic world around her.

It was her safe heaven.

But her paradise was soon disrupted, as an intruder came soon after she settled, in the form of a man with a scar on his chin and a basket of what smelled like fish. He had walked straight into Kikue's world of fragile greenery with a cheerful grin, who was he to do so? It irked the little Kaguya, as he cheerfully greeted her with a wave.

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

His welcoming face seems to fall as his eyes meet with hers of stony grey and unamused face.

"The civillans have been saying that there's a snow spirit in the forest, sent to bring misfortune to our land. So I came to check our Yuki Onna out."

The Kaguya's lips thinned at the statement obviously offended.

"Well you've seen your bringer of misfortune, now please go away. Leave me in peace." She trilled, turning to face her back to him.

"Now, now, don't be like that. I'm a friend." He said, lifting his hands up as if he were surrendering.

Kikue ignores him, she would ignore him until he left. Or attempt to, at least, politeness and etiquette had been something her mother enforced.

"So who are you? I'm Kaiza, a local fisherman."

A few seconds had pasted and for what seemed like a long while, a small sigh drifted into Kaiza's ears, before she grudgingly gave out her name.

"I'm Kaguya Kikue."

Kaiza honestly thought her stubbornness and her lonesome nature was rather endearing but if not slightly concerning. She looked like she was at least 5 years of age and children that age, lived to socialise and make friends. But this little girl enjoyed being by herself more than anything else. Even the way she had spoken, her speech had a rather eloquent air and a sense of finality that made her seem as if she wanted to end the short conversation before it could escalate. Her stony eyes that were constantly half lidded, which one could equate to a souless person, as if she were jaded in her state.

A cheeky grin appears on his face as he walks around the little girl to stand in front of her, she freezes but never looks up to address him, instead Kikue puts her focus into the grass around her, but he is persistent, standing there like a wall waiting for the Kaguya to give him her focus, his presence that looms over her makes her uncomfortable. She sighs again, this time she turns to glare at him in annoyance.

"What do you want?"

* * *

**4 Years Later...**

* * *

It wasn't Kikue's intention to have Kaiza in her life, but the fisherman had continued to invade her realm of forestry. Despite the unwanted presence, the Kaguya's life remained stagnant, she slept against a tree every night, explored the forest in the mornings, enjoyed a bath at the small lake near her special place and even the way the grass cushioned her body as she fell back. It was was everything she wanted, quiet, peaceful and idyllic - Yet so boring, oh so very boring, it had been so mundane that she could yank her hair out. She missed it, that fluctuating nature of the shinobi lifestyle that she had been bred into.

More than often she found herself drifting herself back into taijutsu stances, her hands intertwining into series of hand-signs and slowly but surely, Shikotsumyaku and her ice affinity. Finding new ways to amuse herself, dangling upside down on a tree branch, secured by the hold of her charka, walking on water and so on. Her urge to do something was like a tick, drumming through her veins, that was the curse of the Kaguya.

She was often alone now, her life was stagnant, whilst Kaiza's life was like the raging waters, he had married with a family of his own and despite this, he continued to invade her space with offerings of fish or seafood alike. He bought another man once, whom she never bothered to learn the name of. But they had build her a small cabin of polished wood, much to her annoyance, she currently resided in it.

Yet over the years, the country's corruption had become apparent, it had been a man who owned a transport company, stopping trade and goods entering, many people had began to drown in poverty, it reminded her of the Water. Corrupted. Impoverished. Unstable.

It didn't help that Kaiza had disappeared for a while now, it was concerning because by now it had been weeks since she last saw him. The builder of her cabin showed up instead with a grim face.

"You are the cabin builder."

"Tazuna."

"Alright, Tazuna-san, where is he? Where is Kaiza-san?"

Kikue was met with silence, before he lowered his head.

"Kaiza...Kaiza, he passed away a few days ago."

Her stomach dropped and a sense of numbness washed over her and for that moment she heard nothing, felt nothing, her eyes blurred with dizziness. Yet she did not cry, for no tears would come but she could only shake in grief and anger. Her knees weakened as she slid onto the grass. The man had left her to mourn by herself after she dismissed him.

She lived in constant guilt after that, constant guilt that she hadn't been more active in his life, nor did she see him as he took his last breath, selfishly deciding to live in a world of her own, living in the dark - Was her peaceful world all for naught? The fact that one could not live entirely in bliss? Perhaps.

* * *

Kikue isolated herself after that, never going past the boundaries of the forest. She was never satisfied in her state, the forest was her cage, a place to punish herself, a place of guilt and self-resentment.

It had been a constant state of purgatory, she could do nothing, inwardly Kikue was clawing at herself to get revenge, but she was only a one man army, she was strong, very strong, killing her classmates at the academy graduation had proven that. But she couldn't annihilate armies of men, maybe soon, but surely not now.

Her life would continue to remain stagnant, training and if time seemed to have passed, she wouldn't think much of it.

It had been one of those days, where Kikue locked herself in the cabin, she was bored, training without moving a target was getting to her, she was really going crazy this time, fingers twitching, her bones twitching for action and usage. But the Kaguya was stubborn and conflicted, she still desired the peace and tranquility she once had, avoiding outside interactions with others, the last interaction had left her - numb. It was living in her own self-made illusion, regardless of her bitter taste of reality years back.

Suddenly, a soft knock from the door reached Kikue's ears, leaving her confused. No one came here, that was a given, after all these years of solitude. Who was it now? She cracked open the door slightly, her stony grey eye peeking through to see an androgynous boy with long raven hair and a pink kimono. She didn't know this person.

But he seemed to recognize just by seeing her eye, because he gave a soft chuckle.

"Its been a long time Kikue-chan..."

Her eyes widened as she opened the door wider, to take a closer look at the boy. His warm brown eyes and raven reminded her of her late mother and that boy, that boy who she left years ago, in the hands of Momochi Zabuza.

Haku.

"Haku-san. Its been a while, how are you?"

Upon inspection, he had grown, as Kikue herself, only reached to his shoulder, he adopted a certain grace, that shinobi only had with practice. Perhaps he had gotten strong, as she told him to all those years ago, but how could he not? Assuming he grew under Zabuza's tutelage.

"So why are you here, Haku-san? Surely not just visiting me is it?"

He shakes his head almost apologetically.

"Its a mission, but I hoped to find you along the way."

His seemed rather nervous, like those rabbits that she would causally catch for dinner, Kikue could feel it in her bones, an uncomfortable sensation that run under her skin, as if urging her to kill him like prey. Kikue's fingers twitch and closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before opening her eyes to stare at him.

"You're anxious."

It seemed like an instant but Haku bowed his head in a pleading manner.

"Please Kikue-chan! Please help me! Protect Zabuza-san when I cannot."

She was rather confused.

"Are you not confident in Momochi-san's ability? Or your own at that matter?"

"I am." Haku said slowly. "But I am afraid we'll be overpowered this time."

Kikue really wanted to reject his request and was about to until Haku spoke again.

"I want to protect my dream, Kikue-chan. To protect Zabuza-san. Please help us.."

The Kaguya sighed again.

"I'll think about it. Just give me the details, so if I do show up, I show up at the right place."

Haku gave a relieved but knowing smile.

* * *

Kikue spent her time training after that, regardless of her prior display of reluctance, she had all the intention to show up. To her Haku hadn't really changed, as she could still tell that he was the little boy she had met all those years ago. For her, seeing him again gave her a resolve. A resolve to protect him.

It had been a blink of an eye, but soon she had found herself on the bridge after many wrong turns and dead ends, she really needed to improve her sense of direction. She arrived late, but early enough to hear Haku's past from acute hearing that Kaguyas seemed to have adapted. His past didn't surprise her, many clans where subjected to the purge of bloodlines in the Water. But to be a Yuki, he must've inherited the Ice Release, so by default they were related in some form, perhaps, not directly, but still related.

Although demonic charka rolled off in waves, threateningly, it didn't bother Kikue, as offspring from one of the most violent prone clans in the nations, being overwhelmed by charka wasn't in her dictionary. Ignoring the presence, she ran towards Zabuza to shield him from the silver haired man, whom she vaguely remembered as Sharingan no Kakashi, his lightning jutsu was at least concerning, Shikotsumyaku wasn't built for small lethal things. She could only try.

"You..." Zabuza said, widening his eyes in shock.

Kikue doesn't say anything in return as she shrugged off her haori, felting her skin break form her spine, yanking out the bone the forms she flicks it to curl the bone around his wrist.

"**Ice Dance:** Vine of the Clematis."

As the bone from the spine curled around the Copycat's wrist, thick ice spread along her bone, encasing Kakashi's hand in the process allowing the lighting to die down. Kikue slid her feet, turning to throw the man away into a safe distance, ice breaking in the process.

"Kikue-chan!"

Kikue turned to see Haku running towards her, embracing her into a hug.

"I thought you weren't coming..."

She snorted daintly, staying stiff in the hug.

"Well, I got lost. Some faith you have in me."

"Gato?" Zabuza asked incredulous."What are you doing here? Why do you have those henchmen?"

"Our strategy changed a bit." Gato said snobbishly. "Since hiring shinobi is so expensive, I thought it would be best if you died here. I had hoped these brats would be able to finish you off, but it looks like my men and I will have the pleasure of killing you all."

He was the man who killed Kaiza.

At that moment, she felt her blood boil, as she pushed Haku gently and stepped forward with Zabuza.

"Its been a long time Momochi-san."

"So it has brat. So what's got that doll-like face all scrunched up?"

"Gato-san has treaded too closely near my territory throughout the years, its been quite an irritation of mine for years. I also need a moving target, my body as been bothering me for quite sometime."

"So you have fallen too. You Kaguyas are all the same, except for the fact..."

Kikue interrupted with a dainty laugh.

"Talk later. Fight now..."

Her skin on her shoulder broke this time, drawing her upper arm bone out, sharpened at the end like a blade .

"**Ice Dance :** Flower of the Camellia."

Ice encased the bone, creating a large weapon to wield.

Lunging into the crowd of thugs, Kikue slashed almost carelessly, whether it was the throat or the chest. The Kaguya had felt adrenaline that erupted in her and for once in many years, she felt **alive**. As much as she would deny it, she had missed the violence and confrontation that was distinctively Kaguya. She felt a ghost smile stretch on her lips as her blade cut straight into Gato, whilst Zabuza decapitated his head.

It was fun, and she had felt better as the itch for combat left her as she breathed heavily.

She felt her haori draped her her shoulders, with Haku's smiling face in her vision as she looked back.

She offered a soft smile of her own as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Haku!"

Kikue felt her eye twitch, turning towards a boy with a bright orange jumpsuit. The longer she stared, the longer her eyes hurt. It was a bright orange jumpsuit, so bright that it might as well be neon.

'I think I'm starting see weird patches of green...'

Her eyes roll back and she feels herself fall from the amount of orange, the Kaguya knows she is being melodramatic, but Kami that thing is hideous.

She killed her classmates for graduation.

She killed her late mother.

She killed numerous of rabbits over the years. RIP rabbits.

Yet she had fainted from a bright tacky orange jumpsuit.

Sensory deprivation? Yes.

* * *

She had woken up the next day with the sunlight in her face. Despite her rest, she felt rather fatigued. Rising up, Kikue notices all the other people in the room. Haku was situated to her right whilst the others scattered around the room. It felt over crowded, she wasn't used to so many people at a time, nor was she used to children of her age. She liked Haku and Kimimaro, but that was it.

It was an unfamiliar setting, walking down stairs to face the back of a woman, washing pans.

"Good morning." Kikue drawled.

The woman dropped the pan she had been holding as she turned to meet her stone grey eyes.

But Kikue directed her eyes to the falling pan and uses her hand to spring herself forward from the table top, giving the pan with her other. She sets her eyes on the woman again.

"Would you like some help?"

* * *

Kikue felt a sense of temporary warmth with the woman, Tsunami within the kitchen. It was a long forgotten feeling, not unwelcome but strange, and very much so. As Tsunami set breakfast on the table, the Kaguya walked up stairs to wake everyone else. She may be gentle with Haku, that doesn't mean she'll be nice to everybody else.

She kneels beside Haku, patting his cheeks gently, cooing.

"Hakuuuuu..."

The boy wakes slowly and Kikue stands up to wake the others in a rough manner, shaking their shoulders and saying nothing else.

By the time all the ninjas were at the table, Tsunami and her family were already at the table, she recognised the old man, the one that built her little cabin. However, nothing is exchanged but a nod of acknowledgement. Breakfast is tense, stares from the Copycat ninja and his team were rested the Kaguya, much to her irritation. They didn't speak, not until everyone had gotten out of the house for a training session, Zabuza and Haku followed and I trailed from a small distant by default.

"Now, since we're all on the same page now, why don't we introduce ourselves?" Kakashi called.

The neon jumpsuit jumped in first and introduced himself as Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage. Or something like that. He was spirited and passionate, Kimiha would give him that. But stupidly arrogant, the blonde boy was, yet she admired his strong will and despite his hard headed nature, it would seem that Naruto had stamina. Something that the Kaguya lacked.

Then there was Haruno Sakura, her charka was near pitiful and with the fact that the only special thing about her was her light pink hair and emerald eyes. She was the type of person who became a kunoichi for a boy. That Uchiha boy to be exact. But she couldn't really judge yet, not with the boys in her team trying to shield her from the smallest thing possible. She has an opportunity to improve, if she wishes.

Oh yes, Uchiha Sasuke where to begin with him? His arrogance and condescending was something she found repelling about him. He was an entitled boy with a brother complex and strutted in such a manner that one would imagine peacock feathers behind his back as he walked. His brother complex was rather unnerving, something about, 'My dream/ambition is to surpass my brother and become ANBU captain.' Although, Haku said the Uchiha had held against him long enough so she guessed it wasn't all for show.

Not that she'll ever tell it to their faces, that would just be plain rude, but she just really didn't like surprises nor did she like change.

"My name is Kaguya Kikue, I like peace and tranquility as well as freedom, I dislike conflict and change. I do not have a dream."

"That was barely anything!" Naruto yelled, pointing a finger at me.

I flickered my stony grey eyes towards him, making a dying noise in my throat in the process.

"Then what would you like to know Uzumaki-san?"

"Maa, just where you're from, is enough." Kakashi piped in.

"I'm from the Land of the Water. I lived in the outskirts of the ninja village in Kiri, with the Kaguya clan."

"SO YOU'RE WITH ZABUZA RIGHT?!"

She really didn't like him, that Naruto...

"No." She grounded out, seemingly pained by the mere existence that is Naruto.

She really didn't like him.

"Haku and I are childhood friends, we met briefly just before his tutelage under Momochi-san."

It had been left at that. But that didn't mean they weren't curious, she could feel their constant glances throughout the week, even Haku who gave a few glances through the day.

"Kikue-chan. I need your help."

* * *

So there they were, out of the house, a safe distance away, in a pure taijutsu battle and lets just say that Haku's taijutsu is bad, his blocks and punches didn't feel quite right.

"You're bad at this, if you can't hurt me physically, then manipulate me Haku-san." Kikue droned. "Make me move how you want me to move, I may just falter and panic and make a mistake."

She still beat him, regardless of her bad stamina. She wasn't far of though, they laid lazily on the grass attempting to regain their breaths.

"Tell me about them. Tell me about your parents Kikue-chan."

Kimiha blinked slowly, pupils dilating.

"I saw the ice, Kikue-chan. It is much like my own. If not, exactly. Who are you exactly Kaguya Kikue-chan?"

She breathed heavily through her nose, closing her eyes before opening them again.

"I am a child of the Kaguya clan, a branch member. I was born from a forced marriage situated by my grandfather, my father was Kaguya and my mother was a Yuki. My mother was raped by my father to have me, I came to this world as an abomination, my father wanted a son, but as a daughter, I came out as deformed." The Kaguya droned. "My mother became infertile through stress and trauma and suffered silently by the hands of my family, slowly losing herself every single day. My presence became a reminder of her mistakes and her unfortunate circumstances. Her mind slowly deteriorated until she had completely lost it."

The Kaguya turned her body towards Haku, tentatively reaching out for his cold hand, curling around it, she closes her eyes.

"I do not want to talk about it anymore."

Her eyes drifted to a close, as she seeks warmth in her companion.

* * *

God, I hate this chapter, I don't write well in third person so please forgive me!

This is a non-mass fanfic, because I don't like canon Sasuke, that entitled prick. I'm also a sucker for Itachi and Shisui, they have been wronged in many forms.

If you want Kikue in a relationship / harem or if you have any questions PM me.

Review?


	3. Where will you go, Wanderer?

It had been evening when Haku woke her up, their scenery had changed into the room that she had been situated previously.

"I don't want to go down." she coursed as she felt Haku brush through her hair with his fingers. It was warm here, comfortable, paradise and downstairs was...the opposite of that.

Haku gave out a light chuckle and in turn, Kikue turns her head to a side with a huff.

"They're annoying...those shinobi from Konoha. I don't like them."

"They're not that bad."

Kikue says nothing and lets Haku pull her up, she gives a tired sigh as Haku takes to wrist to give her downstairs.

The Kaguya keeps her head down, even at the dinner table, whispering 'thank yous' when needed. Naruto and Sasuke delved into an eating contest, eating like savages, although Haku seemed amused by it, she scrunches her nose in distaste. Its aggressive, with their elbows knocking their cups of herbal tea over, Kikue's shoots up, hands steady their drinks, their lack of manners appalls her.

'Not bad'. She suspects that her friend is delusional.

She sets them drinks with a soft clink, giving an exasperated glance to Haku, who gives a good natured shrug.

She stayed quiet after that, wordlessly collecting everybody's plates, helping Tsunami wash the dishes before going out again for taijutsu practice. Kikue slides into Kaguya katas, they are difficult, with 26 different sets, its fundamentals rely on speed and stamina. However for Kikue, it is a lethal dance, it keeps her focused, calm. She is focused.

But too focused, as her hands tense, full of chakra as she turns to see Kakashi, her reels back but her hand is aiming towards this chest, he takes her wrist in a rough grip, stopping it completely.

He gives a closed eye smile. "Well, you're awfully energetic tonight, I've got some questions to ask of you."

They engaged in a taijutsu battle, and right away, did Kikue realise that she was participating in a losing battle, they were equal in skill when it came to taijustu, but she would ultimately give out from exhaustion.

Kikue respected him, his reputation that lead to his face being listed in all other bingo books across the nations, yet he had earned her dislike much the same. Hatake Kakashi lacked a certain form of nurturing leadership that a genin team needed, it was obviously that he had his favorites. He was also nosy, in the worst way possible, as he asked a stream of questions in an interrogating manner.

"Did you graduate from the Academy in Kiri?"

"If you weren't conspiring with Zabuza, what have you been doing?"

Just in a less obvious manner.

She answered them of course, Haku and Zabuza had been talking about assimilating into Konoha and Haku wanted Kikue to come too. She would never admit that it only took a few sentences and Haku's crestfallen face for her to agree. Of course not, she was a Kaguya and being a Kaguya meant all things noble and elegant, she definitely did not heed to Haku's natural manipulations. Not at all.

From what she had remembered from the Kiri Academy, the Land of Fire was the largest plot of land in the Five Nations, produced a large number of ninjas yearly and believed strongly in its ideology, the Will of Fire, advocating for a strong sense of camaraderie within its population. So theoretically, all Kikue had to be was honest, honest about her origins and her past. Honesty and integrity is good, or so Konoha preached.

She cheated, as her hand came in contact with the jounin's vest, sending invasive ice natured chakra around his body, immobilising him from the inside. She really couldn't handle him anymore, as her arms relaxed, a slight tremor from her arms remained, most likely from overuse. It was ironic, despite being a Kagura with a bloodline that focused on taijustsu, her physical prowess was abysmal.

"That was cheating Kikue-chan." Kakashi eyed her in amusement as she fell on her hands, letting out harsh puffs of air.

"I - wanted - to - win."

"You imobilised me, that hardly counts as winning if I'm not down."

" I'm a ninja. - I have you- where I want you."

She slowly stood up once regaining her breath, cautiously reaching out her hand, onto Kakashi's chest and taking back the ice natured chakra, but once she does, it is Kakashi who filps her and pins her down with a kunai pressed into her neck.

"I win Kikue. Try again next time." The silver-haired man said with a closed eye smile.

His tone, seemed to be mocking her loss...and irritation from before surfaced as she scrunched up her doll-like face.

"I don't like you."

"I know."

"I hate you."

"I know."

"Go die Sharingan Kakashi."

"Ma..ma...don't you think that's a bit too much?"

The girl brings herself up, ignoring the older man's existence - what a sore loser. It seems that Kakashi's attempts to maintain a sense of camaraderie had been that of a failure.

Kikue says nothing else to any of the leaf shinobi and hides within the room shared with the rest of the ninjas for the rest of their stay there, even Haku's attempts were graciously ignored until Zabuza steps in. Like Zabuza, Kimiha maintained a sense of feral attitude that had been engraved with all Mist shinobi, regardless of her pacifist ways, she fought with vigor and much intention to kill when with Zabuza.

It barely helps though, because she still feels urges crawling under her skin, twitching fingers and shaky hands that begged her to fulfill her desires for violence.

The Kaguya doesn't confide this with Haku, never. Despite actions that the boy could commit under Zabuza's wing, there was a sense of purity and innocence and Kikue cannot bring herself to taint it.

* * *

It is Zabuza who notices her internal struggle, he never says anything though, but let's her feel the thrill and adrenaline of fighting and a nostalgia from the Land of the Water.

There is a sense of kinship and Kikue finds herself tailing him when Haku is spending time with Team 7 , but when Kakashi approaches them, she walks away and disappears until he leaves.

It doesn't get any better when they set off for Konoha, but the Kaguya doesn't mind, because she is fascinated by the world around her, like when was the last time, had she seen the sky as blue as this? She has never been outside from the Land of the Waves, so whenever they had a break, the Kaguya would wonder off into the bushes.

"Oi brat, don't wonder off too far." Zabuza grunted out, wiping down his sword.

But Kikue paid no attention.

"M'kay.."

She ended up getting lost, like really lost. It had only been 5 minutes and when she had turned to look around, she wasn't able to recognise her surroundings.

The logical thing to do was to turn back or stay where she was until someone came for her right? But Kikue wasn't the type to care where she ended up, as shown in the Land of the Waves.

But before she could take a step forward, a rough hand reached out, grabbing onto the back of her lavender haori, holding her up like a scruffy way-ward kitten,

"And where do you think you're going, brat?" Zabuza growled.

The girl turned her head as much as she could and gave a small plastic smile.

"Nowhere important."

And so, she was sent back onto her original path, with Zabuza keeping in every 5 minute interval. But that didn't bother her, instead it had been the **HEAT** that had her grumpy and annoyed. Humidity during warmer seasons had been quite normal for the Land of the Water and could drop below zero during colder seasons. But this HEAT had her stumped and irritated.

The two adults, Kakashi and Zabuza found endless amusement in her grumblings, her occasional snap at someone who vexed her in the slightest. But as they were beginning to reach the boundaries of Konoha, Kikue had accidentally discovered the wonders of her water affinity that rooted from her ice release. One would like the gods and the girl certainly did. The thin layer of water was untraceable on her body kept her cold and safe from the heat. Her irritation soon, became nonexistent, replaced by a tranquil look on her face and dreamy grey eyes that focused on the ever blue sky. Tuning out everything in existence and even walking straight through the gates, unsupervised.

For what? Staring at clouds and the azure colour of the sky, of course.

Bystanders might think the girl had been lucky to not have run anybody over, Kimiha would beg to differ. Kiri paranoia as she dubbed it, was both a blessing and a curse. Paranoia being self-explanatory, it helped her detect chakra signatures and roughly pinpoint them, shinobi or civilian. That had been until Zabuza lifted her over his shoulders like a labor worker with a sack of potatoes and ventured off with Kakashi.

Arriving at the Hokage Tower, and introduced to Hiruzen Sarutobi, it had taken a while for the foreign shinobi to assimilate. Despite the elder's appearance, Kikue felt his large chakra capacity, impressive but it paled in comparison to Naruto's overly angry and uncontrollable chakra that seemed to lash out.

Kikue still spoke when she needed too, albeit with a faraway gaze. But she spoke truth, lying in this situation would get her nowhere, plus she could always throw her two Kekkei Genkai around. Unlike Kiri before, whose intolerance led to genocide of major clans, everybody else seemed desperate for more power in their force. Still she showed respect, bowing as if Hiruzen was a clan leader, abiding to everything he said, despite not knowing what he said. Kikue just wanted to explore and stare at the clouds.

It wasn't until when Haku called her name, when they were out of the office had she snapped out of her daze.

"Naruto-kun and his team invited us to a ramen stand, are you coming Kikue-chan?"

Kikue looks up at the clouds, interacting with others was a hassle.

But Haku gives a knowing look, before he ushers the group along, he speaks up again.

"Zabuza-san and Kakashi-san are dealing with our living arangements, but Zabuza-san said to be home by 5:30."

Kikue gives a nod, before walking on on her own. Unlike Kiri that had been surrounded by dense fog and silent hostility, Konoha had clear skies and bustling streets with smiling faces all around.

She would be more interested if they were more silent and soft-spoken. But alas, not everything was going to be perfect.

The Kaguya lounges on an big area of grass, staring at the moving clouds and it keeps her entertained until a monotone voice interrupts her session.

"You're in my spot."

The girl turns her head to see a lanky boy with awfully slanted eyes and pineapple shaped hair, Kikue turns her focus to the moving clouds above her.

"Go find another spot then." she huffed.

The boy sighed and with a exasperated "Troublesome." Laid next to her with a comfortable distance between them.

There's a silence between them, before another voice is is heard obnoxiously from the distance.

"SHIKAMARUUUU!"

The said boy flinches and curses lowly, Kikue takes pity on him and offers a little nudge in the right direction.

So standing up, she pushed him, right into the river which caused the boy to let out surprised grunt, before falling in. The the white-haired girl paid no mind until the loud voice directly addressed her.

"Hey! Hey! You with the white hair!"

Kikue felt her eyebrow twitch to see a platinum blonde with frosty eyes.

What a rude person...

"How can I be of service?" Kikue trilled with a closed eye smile.

"Have you seen a person with pineapple hair?"

Kikue pretended to think for a few seconds before her closed eye smile came back on her face.

"No, I'm sorry."

The then proceeded to huff and stalk away, with stormy gray eyes following her movement and when the girl disappears, Kikue waits for a minute staring at the spot that the girl had previously occupied, just in case she comes back, but no sign.

The Kaguya sighs softly in exasperation, giving a glance at the river, before falling back with another sigh, focusing back on the clouds.

"You got me wet." An annoyed voice drawled.

Kikue never spares a look at the boy, eyes still focused on the clouds.

"My apologies."

"You don't sound too apologetic to me."

" I'm clearly not. I just pitied you but perhaps I should've left you with that blonde bimbo."

"How troublesome."

"Isn't everything? To think I've come here out of all places. I must've lost my marbles."

The boy laid down next to her as the conversation continued, both sides drier than a Weet-bix bar. Snide and self-deprecating comments here and there.

"I heard old women are often delirious, must explain why you pushed me into the water..."

"I wouldn't expect someone like you to complain about someone saving you. But then again, you Konoha folk are quite dainty little things. Enjoy playing damsel in distress, Princess?"

But it ended like this:

"My name is Nara Shikamaru."

"Kaguya Kikue, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Nara-san."

* * *

**Huuuuuu...****I'm so late! I've been conquering big exams and preparing for university right now.**

**This is kinda a filler chapter, I'm sorry for the lack of action. ****I read all your comments but decided to put in Shikamaru first, maybe not as a love interest but a first friend. I think they gel well due to their intellect and Kimiha's wishy-washy personality.**

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**BlackTigerJinko**


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